WHAT CAN WE EXPECT THIS SEASON?

Jürgen Klopp’s first full season in charge may have brought the Champions League qualification that the club – and the fans – craved but the question will now be how much further can this side go?

The club has already had a very busy summer on the transfer front with a couple of big potential transfers rumbling on while the arrival of Salah from Roma has increased expectations of a successful season to come. But how good will Liverpool be this term and are they a good bet for the title?

New Boys
Anyone remembering Mohamed Salah’s largely ineffective time at Chelsea could well be in for a surprise this season after the forward joined from Roma for almost £37 million. The Egyptian striker rediscovered his form, first for Fiorentina and then for Roma, and looked exceptional last season. Much is expected of him and he could provide some of the goals that the side have sorely missed recently. Although not as headline grabbing, the signing of left back Andy Robertson from Hull could be almost as important as it will mean James Milner will no longer have to fill in for the error prone Alberto Moreno.

Signings Still to Come
It is no secret that Klopp has been frustrated with the ongoing sagas surrounding the possible signing of Virgil van Dijk from Southampton and Naby Keïta from RB Leipzig. Now that van Dijk has announced his intention to leave the south coast club Liverpool will be more confident of landing the highly rated defender. Completing the transfer of Keïta looks more unlikely as Leipzig are refusing to sell even after receiving increased offers from the Reds.

Current Players
The truth is that Klopp doesn’t actually have to recruit too many players this summer to challenge in the Premier League. A new left back was definitely a priority and a goal scoring striker is also high up on the wanted list. Although Salah doesn’t necessarily fit the bill he will bring attacking prowess to the side and should team up with Firmino well. Having Sadio Mané playing for a full season will be a massive boost to Klopp and if the club can keep fighting off the attentions of Barcelona when it comes to Philippe Coutinho, they will have a very strong team for the season ahead.

The Competition
The real test of whether Liverpool can improve on last season’s fourth place finish will be how the other clubs round off their transfer window. Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United have all added some big names to their squads – and even Everton have tried to revamp their first team in the quest for Champions League football. Only Spurs are yet to invest this summer although they will feel that their current side is maturing nicely as it is.

Good Chance of Success
Although the club are still chasing a few more new signings, the extensive recruitment of the past few years has now begun to bear fruit and a relatively young squad can feel confident going into the new season. Keeping hold of Coutinho is probably key to greater success but the arrival of a player of the calibre of Salah could make this campaign very interesting indeed for Liverpool.

Add a Comment